Department for Transport

Bus Services: Brighton

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider the rejection of a grant application to deliver buses with lower emissions in Brighton and Hove, given that City Council’s evidence of high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and airborne fine particles in the city centre.

baroness sugg: The Government recently announced the allocation of £40m from the Clean Bus Technology Fund and does not plan to reconsider that decision. As the volume of bids received exceeded the available budget we had to prioritise those projects expected to make the greatest contribution to bringing local NO2 concentrations within statutory limits within the shortest possible time.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 20 February (HL5467), whether the Financial Reporting Council changed the wording after my question (HL4627) was tabled on 11 January; and why the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 1 February (HL5095) referred to a position with future effect, not the past and present position.

lord henley: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 05 March 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The fact sheet attached to the placed into the Libraries of the House in response given to question HL5095 used the word “requested” and is dated June 2017. My answer to question HL5095 stated the position as of 1st February 2018.

lord henley: The fact sheet attached to the placed into the Libraries of the House in response given to question HL5095 used the word “requested” and is dated June 2017. My answer to question HL5095 stated the position as of 1st February 2018.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the expected total number of tons of waste material arising from the construction of the new Hinkley Point power station to be deposited in the Cardiff Grounds.

lord henley: The amount of dredge material requested by the applicant in the marine licence application is for a maximum of 280,000 tonnes. The original figure was higher than this, however the licence holder now requires dredging from a smaller area.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Cardiff Grounds was chosen for the deposit of waste material arising from the construction of the new Hinkley Point power station.

lord henley: We understand that in pre-application discussions, it was recommended to the applicant by English and Welsh Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies that the sediment from the proposed dredging site should remain within the Severn Estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC) so as not to affect the overall sediment amounts of the SAC. It was decided that disposal in the immediate vicinity of the dredge site may adversely affect some of the SAC feature in the wider area and so it was considered that an established disposal site within the same estuary would be preferential. Cardiff Grounds was chosen as the preferred site. The Licence application was presented with this location as the applicant’s choice and the application was assessed by the licensing authority on this basis.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the precise nature of the waste material to be removed from the construction site for the new Hinkley Point power station; what contaminants are expected to be found within that material; and whether they have evidence that that material might include irradiated material.

lord henley: The material to be removed from the dredge site is sediment, consisting of clay, silt, sand and gravel. A range of chemical and radiological materials were tested for, which included gamma emitting radionuclides and chemicals. These tests, carried out by an accredited laboratory, showed that the levels of chemicals and radionuclides were within acceptable levels under international guidelines and considered to be safe.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the process of depositing waste material arising from the construction of the new Hinkley Point power station in the Cardiff Grounds to begin.

lord henley: The dredge disposal will not commence until permission has been granted by the licencing authority. It is expected that work will begin summer 2018, once the permission has been granted.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks will be undertaken to ensure that no contaminated waste material arising from the construction of the new Hinkley Point power station will be shipped for depositing in the Cardiff Grounds; and who will conduct those checks.

lord henley: The sediment has been sampled and tested for chemical and radiological substances. An accredited laboratory, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), has undertaken the testing and analysis in accordance with international guidelines. Permission is only granted to dispose of material that is deemed safe according to these internationally established guidelines.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Crimes against Humanity: Prosecutions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answerby Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL5861),how many years elapsed between the atrocities committed by Ratko Mladić and his conviction; and what assessment they have made of the options for introducing more expeditious and timely ways of bring to justice those who perpetrate genocide or crimes against humanity.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: After 16 years as a fugitive from justice, Ratko Mladić was arrested in May 2011 for crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 until 1995. His trial commenced a year later and considered testimony from almost 600 witnesses and just under 10,000 exhibits. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war in November 2017, six and a half years after his arrest. We agree that justice should be dispensed as expeditiously as possible while ensuring defendants' receive a fair trial. The UK participates in regular meetings of the Security Council's Informal Working Group on International Tribunals, which deals with a range of issues relating to the functioning of the UN Tribunals, including considering evaluation reports, exchanging views with Tribunal Principals and reviewing potential efficiencies in the operation of the Tribunals.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard religious pluralism and to defend and promote freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are currently funding a range of projects through a multi-year Conflict Stability and Security Fund programme to promote inter-faith and inter-communal dialogue and dispute resolution at local level in eastern Sri Lanka, one of the most diverse regions. Our High Commission regularly raise issues of concern with their Sri Lankan counterparts.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that(1) a thorough investigation is conducted into the recent communal violence between Buddhist nationalists and the Muslim community in Digana and Teldeniya, in Kandy administrative district, Sri Lanka, and (2) the perpetrators are bought to justice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​I am concerned by the recent inter-communal violence in Sri Lanka and the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, the Rt Hon Mark Field MP, wrote to his counter-part Foreign Minister Marapana on 7 March setting out UK views. We support the Government of Sri Lanka's action in swiftly bringing the violence to an end and urge it to hold the perpetrators to account. It is vital that all leaders in Sri Lanka condemn violence and hate, and make every effort to promote harmony.

USA: Nuclear Weapons

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the statement by the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel, that the "US administration decision to develop new tactical nuclear weapons shows that the spiral of a new nuclear arms race has already been set in motion".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: This is not our analysis. The US Nuclear Posture Review, published on 1 February, makes clear that the US has continued to reduce the number and salience of nuclear weapons, while others, including Russia and China, have moved in the opposite direction. The Review also makes clear that US decisions to modify a small number of existing warheads to provide a low yield option and, in the longer term, to pursue a new sea-launched cruise missile, are intended to enhance deterrence and to counter any perception of an exploitable gap in US capabilities.

USA: Nuclear Weapons

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the proposal by the United States Congress to pursue research into a new ground launched cruise missile; and what is their assessment ofthe implications of that proposalfor the requirements of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We welcome the US Government's desire to preserve the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty and to encourage full compliance by Russia. The Administration's approach is outlined in their 'Integrated INF Strategy', published in December 2017. Proposals by Congress are for the Administration to consider.

Nuclear Weapons: Treaties

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of theUnited States on (1) extending or negotiating a successor treaty to New START, and (2) attempting to resolve existing disputes with Russia over the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Ministers and senior officials discuss nuclear issues often with US counterparts. The US set out in the Nuclear Posture Review published on 1 February its continuing commitment to implement New START. We support dialogue between the US and other signatories about the possibility of extending the Treaty. The Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty has made a valuable contribution to Euro-Atlantic security for over 30 years. We welcome US efforts to preserve the Treaty and continue to encourage Russia to resolve the serious concern of the UK and other NATO Allies about their new missile systems.

Burma: Arms Trade

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking, if any, to build international support for a UN mandated global arms embargo against Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Regardless of broader international support, a UN arms embargo would require majority support in the Security Council and the absence of a veto from any Permanent Members. It is our assessment that there is insufficient support among Permanent Members for such a measure at this time.

Burma: International Criminal Court

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other members of the UN Security Council regarding support, in principle, for a referral of the situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We will work to ensure the UN Security Council remains focused on the Rohingya crisis and will consider how best to use the various tools, including resolutions, at the Council's disposal. This involves regular discussions with all Security Council members. There is no consensus within the UN Security Council at this time to refer Burma to the International Criminal Court.

Burma: Arms Trade

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other EU governments on expanding the EU arms embargo to cover the sale of all equipment to the military in Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK continues to support and comply with the EU arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability. At the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 26 February Council conclusions were adopted on Burma. The UK was instrumental in securing agreement that the embargo should be renewed and strengthened.

India: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reported restrictions on the ability to celebrate Christian holidays in India, and (2) the diminution of religious freedom in India; and what representations they have made to the government of India on those matters.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: India has a strong democratic framework, which guarantees human rights within its constitution. However, it also faces numerous challenges relating to its size, social and economic development.The British Government remains committed to promoting and defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for Christians, and indeed individuals of all faiths or beliefs, and to support this we engage with the Indian government to build capacity and share expertise to tackle challenges, including the promotion and protection of human rights. Our High Commission in New Delhi, our network of Deputy High Commissions, as well as Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London, maintain a continuous assessment of the human rights situation across India, including with civil society groups in India. Officials regularly meet with minority representatives to discuss minority issues and freedom of religious belief. More widely our project work has benefited a variety of minority groups in India, including promoting minority rights.

Russia: Sanctions

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of current EU sanctions against Russia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK plays a leading role in continuing EU sanctions against Russia to effect a change in its Ukraine policy and end its illegal annexation of Crimea. Sanctions have demonstrated a clear united Western position and will remain in place until Russia fully meets its commitments under the Minsk Agreements. Beyond the Kremlin’s bravado, sanctions are biting in Russia. Of Russia’s 3.7 percent overall Gross Domestic Product decline in 2015, Citibank assess sanctions caused nearly 0.4 percent. Financial sanctions are particularly effective, making it expensive and hard for Russia to secure western finance.

Russia: Nuclear Weapons

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Russia's threshold for the use of nuclear weapons has been lowered, following the speech by President Putin to the Russian Federal Assembly on 1 March.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regret President Putin's decision to develop new types of destabilising nuclear weapons systems, rather than working towards strategic stability. Russia's aggressive nuclear strategy poses a challenge to the UK and NATO Allies, which is why we will continue to keep our nuclear posture under constant review. We remain confident in our ability to deter all threats.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Russian Language

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fluent Russian speakers have been trained or recruited by theForeign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)since November 2016; and how many fluent Russian speakers are employed by the FCO.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Russian is a priority language for the FCO. Where required, officers undertake up to 14 months full time language training to reach C1 Operational level as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an international standard to describe language ability. Since November 2016 a total of 64 officers have undertaken or are undergoing Russian language training. The FCO has 212 employees registered with some level of Russian, 83 of which have reached C1 or above (as of December 2017).

Department for Exiting the European Union

Borders: Northern Ireland

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by Donald Tusk that the Irish border issue must be addressed before the Brexit negotiations can address other issues; and whether this will affect the progress of the negotiations.

lord callanan: The Prime Minister reaffirmed her commitments to the Northern Ireland and Ireland border in her speech at Mansion House, recognising the unique circumstances in Northern Ireland, and our shared commitments to avoiding a hard border. The UK and the EU negotiating teams reached another important milestone in the Brexit process by agreeing the terms of a time-limited implementation period. Significant progress has also been made to turn the Joint Report from December into the legal text of the Withdrawal Agreement, which we will conclude in full by October. The negotiating teams remain committed to the Joint Report in its entirety including guaranteeing the future integrity of the United Kingdom’s internal market. In this context, we are agreed on the need to include a legally operative version of the "backstop" solution for the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland in the Withdrawal Agreement that is acceptable to both sides while continuing to work up the other options. The UK has always seen Northern Ireland issues as a key priority for the UK Government and we remain firmly committed to that objective. We have always been clear from the outset that the best way to achieve this is through the overall relationship between the UK and the EU.

Brexit

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much time they expect there will be between the publication of the final Brexit agreement and the vote in the House of Commons.

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to present the final Brexit agreement to select committees of Parliament; and how long they expect that to be before a vote in either House of Parliament.

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much time they expect there will be between the vote in the House of Commons on the Brexit agreement and exit day.

lord callanan: It is our intention to conclude the Withdrawal Agreement and the terms for our future relationship in good time before we leave the EU in March 2019. It remains our shared aim with the EU to reach agreement on the Withdrawal Agreement by October. This would allow both the UK Parliament and the European Parliament time to scrutinise and debate the agreement reached between both sides. We expect and intend that the vote will take place before the European Parliament debates and votes on the final agreement.

Brexit

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the resolution presented to the House on the final Brexit agreement will be worded.

lord callanan: The Government has committed to hold a vote on the final deal in Parliament as soon as possible after the negotiations have concluded. This vote will take the form of a resolution in both Houses of Parliament and will cover both the Withdrawal Agreement and the terms for our future relationship. We have been clear that Parliament will be able to vote to accept the deal, or move forward without one. The exact wording of any motion is yet to be determined.

Brexit

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 20 February (HL5494), whether they will now answer the question asked, namely whether, prior to the Prime Minister’s letter of 29 March 2017 notifying the European Council, in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the EU, they gave any consideration to the possibility of withdrawing from the EU in accordance with Article 50(1) without being bound by Articles 50(2) and 50(3); and if not, why not.

lord callanan: As stated in the answer to HL5494, the UK is a law abiding country and remains a Member State, with full rights and obligations under the Treaties. We do not want or expect to leave without a deal. Negotiating and concluding a Withdrawal Agreement with the EU is in the interests of both sides.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Homelessness

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 18 December 2017 (HL3813), what assessment, if any, they have made of the impact of cuts by clinical commissioning groups to homeless and rough sleeping mental health teams, including the decision by Camden NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to reduce its financial support for the Focus Homeless Outreach.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has not made any such assessment. It is the responsibility of commissioners and health and wellbeing boards to ensure services meet local need as part of the Joint Service Needs Assessments.The Government has set an aim to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it entirely by 2027. The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 introduces new duties for specified public services, including the National Health Service, to refer service users they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local housing authority.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the extent to which people aged 55 or over are increasingly experiencing harm caused by alcohol, and (2) the need to introduce a different intervention strategy to address the needs of those people.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data on those experiencing alcohol harm, broken down by age, is not collected centrally. However, national estimates of the number of alcohol dependent adults in 2014-15 were published by the University of Sheffield in March 2017. They estimated that the number of adults aged 55 or over dependent on alcohol was 73,280.The Government has no plans to introduce a different intervention strategy aimed at older people. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning effective drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services based on an assessment of local need. Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities in this work, by providing bespoke data, value for money tools, topical briefings, and advice on good practice to help local authorities meet the needs of their local population, including older people.PHE is engaged in a series of work programmes which aim to reduce the incidence of substance addiction and help provide support to older people, such as advocating the national roll out of an alcohol misuse screening question that has been part of the NHS Health Check since 2013. The NHS Health Check is offered to around three million 40-74 year olds per year.In addition, the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers have produced new low risk drinking guidelines which provide the public with the latest information about the health risks of different levels and patterns of drinking. The guidelines enable people to make informed choices about their drinking. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines are attached. 



UK Chief Medical Officers Low Drinking Guidelines
(PDF Document, 323.18 KB)

Doctors: Disciplinary Proceedings

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manydoctors employed by the NHS were (1) suspended for, and (2) convictedof, malpractice, in each year between 2007 and 2017.

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses employed by the NHS were(1) suspended for, and (2) convictedof, malpractice, in each year between 2007 and 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: The information is not available in the format requested. NHS Digital publishes data on dismissals under reasons for leaving. These include capability, conduct, statutory and for some other substantial reason. However, NHS Digital does not specifically record data on convictions or suspensions as a result of malpractice.

Patients: Death

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyavoidable deaths occurred in NHS hospitals in each year between 2007 and 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: This information is not collected centrally. However, in 2017-18, the National Health Service became the first healthcare system to publish estimates by individual trusts of how many of their patients may have died because of problems in their care. Trusts have begun to publish their estimates on a quarterly basis and must include evidence of learning and improvements made to prevent such deaths in their Quality Accounts from June 2018. This new level of transparency is fundamentally about generating learning to ensure the safety of NHS services.

Department for Education

Pupils: Walking

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whichprimary schools have used their PE and Sport Premium to successfully encourage substantially more children to walk to school.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally. Through the primary PE and sport premium, the government has invested over £600 million of cross-government ring-fenced funding direct to primary schools to be spent on the improvement of PE and sport for all pupils. The government has doubled the premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Head teachers have the freedom to decide how the funding should best be used to improve their PE and sports. The department’s guidance to schools on the use of the premium indicates that they can use it to embed physical activity into the school day through active travel to and from school. Schools need to publish how they spend the funding and report the impact on their website by 4 April 2018. National Walk to School Week takes place from 21-25 May, and the department expects schools will use this opportunity to further promote active lifestyles outside of school.

First4Adoption

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of theimpact on the statutory provision of adoptionof the closure of First4Adoption on 31 March; and howthey plan to fund adoption services thereafter.

lord agnew of oulton: First4Adoption has operated under the department’s National Gateway for Adoption contract since its launch in 2012. The contract ends on 31 March 2018.First4Adoption is an information service for prospective adopters. The government does not expect the contract’s end to impact the statutory provision of adoption. The department intends to ensure that materials developed under the contract remain accessible and free to access so that prospective adopters can still benefit from this information.Local authorities, Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) and Voluntary Adoption Agencies will continue to provide further advice and information to prospective adopters.The government funds local authority children’s services, including adoption, through the local government finance settlement. In addition, the government continues to invest in adoption through the development of RAAs, the funding of 16 new Practice Improvement Fund projects and the Adoption Support Fund, which has provided more than £66 million to support thousands of families since launching in May 2015.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Northamptonshire

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take any steps to reorganise local government in Northamptonshire.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Secretary of State is now considering the report of the independent inspection of Northamptonshire County Council, including the proposals it makes for the future of local government in Northamptonshire. He has undertaken to make a statement in due course in the Other Place setting out his proposals for next steps.

Local Government: Buckinghamshire

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timescale for the proposed changes to local government structures in Buckinghamshire.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In his written statement (HCWS535) the Secretary of State explained that before he takes his final decision on the Buckinghamshire unitary proposals, there is a period until 25 May 2018 during which those interested may make further representations. Thereafter having regard to all relevant information then available to him, he intends as soon as practicable to take his final decision, and if that decision is to implement one of the proposals, to seek Parliamentary approval to the necessary secondary legislation. If Parliament were to approve any such legislation, the expectation is that the earliest any new unitary authorities could be established is April 2020.

Hate Crime

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the strategy of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in combating rising levels of antisemitism and hate crime.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government deplores all forms of hate crime and is committed to tackling it. We treat all hate crime with equal seriousness; there is no place for treating victims differently regardless of their race, religion, age, gender identity, sexuality or disability.Our response to anti-Semitism has been built on the solid work of the Cross-Government working group on tackling anti-Semitism which includes Jewish communal stakeholders, ensuring that we are alive to any issues and concerns of the Jewish community and can respond quickly. The Government supports the Community Security Trust (CST) to provide security for Jewish communal buildings, as well as a range of projects to tackle anti-Semitism on campus such as the Union of Jewish Student's Bridges Not Boycotts programme, and the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons From Auschwitz.In 2016, the Government published the Hate Crime Action Plan. The Plan includes a range of actions, including funding for security for places of worship, and the disaggregation of religion-based hate crime data. We have taken further action in education, equipping teachers to have difficult conversations and funding programmes through the Anne Frank Trust and Streetwise. The Plan also brings together the work of a wider range of departments and agencies, including Fire and Rescue Services for the first time. We are now refreshing the plan to ensure that we remain able to respond to all forms of hatred effectively and appropriately.The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent public body. I have therefore asked the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer to write to the Hon Member with the information requested. I will place a copy of the letter in the libraries of both Houses.

Ministry of Defence

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost of items cannibalised from (1) submarines in build, and (2) surface ships in build, for use in operational submarines and surface ships.

earl howe: The information is not held in the format requested.

Department for Work and Pensions

Occupational Pensions

baroness drake: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of small pension savings pots held by individuals; whether that number has increased in the last five years and by how much; what assessment they have made of the problems arising from any such increase; what plans they have to address those problems; andwhat assessment they have made of the impact of that increase on workers in low paid high turnover jobs.

baroness buscombe: So far, the Government’s automatic enrolment (AE) programme has led to more than 9.4 million employees being automatically enrolled in a workplace pension, with more than 1.1 million employers meeting their duties as of the end of February. We do not routinely collect data on the number or size of individuals’ pension pots, but it is clear that many of these pots will be small at this early stage. However, the proposals announced in the 2017 Review of Automatic Enrolment will mean pension saving starting from a younger age, which we know makes a real difference. A National Minimum Wage earner who starts saving from 22 could build a pot of £82,000 (in today’s earnings terms) by state pension age. Had they started saving at 18, that pot could be £92,000 (12 per cent larger). We will keep the issue of small pots under review now that the roll-out of AE is almost complete. As of March 2017, 94 per cent of eligible jobholders automatically enrolled in an occupational defined contribution scheme were enrolled in a Master Trust. The authorisation and supervision regime introduced by the Pension Schemes Act 2017 will ensure that members of Master Trust schemes, who will often have small pension pots, have equivalent protection to people saving in other types of pension schemes. Dormant pots can be eroded over time by costs and charges, and the smaller the dormant pot, the greater the impact. Members have the right to know all the costs and charges they are paying. The Government consulted last year on regulations requiring charges and transaction costs to be given to defined contribution occupational pension scheme members and to be published. We laid regulations to achieve this on 26 February, and they will come into force on 6 April. The Financial Conduct Authority plan to consult on corresponding rules for workplace personal pension schemes in the second quarter of this year. Members could also benefit from the introduction of the pensions dashboard, which should make it easier to see all their pots in one place when they choose to do so. This would enable them to feel in control and take ownership of their pensions. We are currently conducting a feasibility study looking at how we can make the pensions dashboard a reality, and will publish our findings later in the spring.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Slaughterhouses

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many small and medium-sized abattoirs were in operation in the UK ineach year from 2001 to 2017.

lord gardiner of kimble: For each year between 2001 and 2017 the number of small and medium sized abattoirs fell. The data provided only covers Great Britain which account for the majority of abattoirs.   Abattoir numbers by size in Great Britain  SmallMediumLargeTotal TotalSmall and medium200126419932495 463200224918933471 438200325317835466 431200424117635452 417200523116634431 397200621715439410 371200720914637392 355200819913941379 338200920812637371 334201019912635360 325201119212340355 315201219212636354 318201318812036344 308201417611739332 293201517411538327 289201618211039331 292201717410244320 276   Source: Food Standards Agency   The data was sourced from the Food Standards Agency. The number of abattoirs in Scotland and Northern Ireland are held by Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland do not hold data prior to 2008 so the figures provided are just for Great Britain.

Air Pollution: Brighton

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the national monitor for air pollution in the Brighton and Hove area is placed in Preston Park, rather than near the more polluting city centre roads; and whetherthey will considerusing the data collected by Brighton and Hove City Council when assessing pollution levels in the area in future.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Preston Park monitoring site was chosen to measure background pollution concentrations within reporting zone 10 (Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton) and is sited in accordance with EU requirements for compliance purposes. Defra uses pollution data from this monitoring site to report compliance to the EU against the air quality limit values. Monitoring data is supplemented by national modelling which ‘fills the gaps’ between monitoring stations. Data collected by Brighton and Hove Council will not be used for compliance purposes, as it does not meet the strict requirements of the air quality directive. The data is used to measure progress for local air quality management purposes and supports the actions Brighton and Hove Council is taking to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: Commonwealth

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received, including those from Commonwealth Caribbean countries, about children who arrived and settled in the UK before 1971 as British subjects on their parents' passports but are now being deported as undocumented illegal Commonwealth Caribbean migrants; and whatwere their responses.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of people born in a Commonwealth country who have settled in the UK, having arrived before 1971, and are now vulnerable to deportation as they have never regularised their status as UK citizens.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many undocumented Commonwealth immigrants who were settled in the UK before 1971 have been deported in the past 24 months; and to which countries.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of deportation on the lives of those deported residents who settled in the UK before 1971 but now find themselves effectively stateless.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the differences in processes to consider (1) undocumented Commonwealth Caribbean migrants settled in the UK before 1971 for removal, and (2) EU citizens seeking permanent residence in the UK.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist undocumented Commonwealth Caribbean migrants who settled in Britain before 1971, having arrived as British subjects on their parents' passports, to regularise their status as British citizens.

baroness williams of trafford: Different legislation applies to those who were settled in the UK prior to 1st January 1973 – when the Immigration Act 1971 came in to force - and EU citizens seeking confirmation of permanent residence. Under the EU Free Movement Directive, EU citizens and their family members automatically attain permanent residence having exercised free movement rights for a continuous period of five years in the UK. If they wish to document this they can apply for a permanent residence document.A non-EU national with settled status, including those settled here on 1 January 1973, is able to apply for this to be confirmed in a biometric residence permit. To do so they must be able to show they have acquired settled status and that they have continued to reside in the UK so as not to lose that status.No estimate has been made of how many of those who arrived prior to the 1971 Act’s commencement are unable to evidence their status in the UK. However, the majority of people making such applications are able to provide the documentation required to demonstrate their legal status in the UK. Where someone struggles to provide documents, efforts are made to assist them to demonstrate their continued residence, such as working with other government departments to establish this. We have not received any official representations from Commonwealth countries about their citizens who claim to be settled under the 1971 Act but have been subject to removal action.We expect those with no legal right to remain here to leave and we provide a number of assistance programmes to support them to return. We will seek to enforce the return of anyone with no right to remain who refuses to leave voluntarily. However, we do operate a stateless leave policy for those who are unable to return to their country of former habitual residence because they are stateless and have no right to reside in any other country.The Home Office publishes data on returns by destination as part of the quarterly Immigration statistics release. The data does not break these down by the date an individual claims to have arrived the UK.

Asylum: Appeals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of asylum appeals were successful in each of the years 2005to 2015.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on the number of Asylum appeal applications and determinations, in the quarterly Immigration Statistics release. The latest figures are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables.Table as_14 in the Asylum tables (volume 4) contains annual breakdowns of the number of appeals; figures for the years 2007 to 2017 are available.Data prior to 2007 can be found in the national archives:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218143229/http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbarchive.htmlYear% allowed appeals200517%200622%200722%200823%200929%201027%201126%201227%201325%201428%201535%201640%201735%

Asylum

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities have accepted asylum seekers in each of the last five years.

baroness williams of trafford: I refer the noble Lord to the response I gave to him on 24 January 2018, UIN HL5042.

Asylum: Interviews

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they provide to asylum seekers to ensure that those individualscan travel to their immigration interviews.

baroness williams of trafford: Asylum seekers who are supported by the Home Office under Section 95 or Section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 may apply for travel tickets when they need to travel to certain appointments. For those required to attend a substantive asylum interview travel tickets are normally sent to the asylum seeker with details of the interview.

Immigration Officers

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff were employed as immigration officers on 1 May in (1) 2006, (2) 2012, and (3) 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: Security of the border cannot be measured by numbers of staff. Border Force uses a sophisticated combination of experienced officers, intelligence, data, technology and partnership working.People employed in Border Force for 2012 and 2016 can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts, links to which are shown below. Border Force was established in its current form in March 2012 and since that time the workforce has ranged from approximately 7800 – 8100 in full-time equivalents.16-17 Page 66 -https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf12-13 Page 125 -https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210660/Annual_Report_and_AThe ‘Comparative’ figures in the table for 2012/13 and 2013/14 do not include IT and Estates budgets, which were included in previously released figures. The IT and Estates budgets were taken under central Home Office control after 2013/14.The figures are not available for 2006 UKBA staffing or Immigration staffing as in 2006 Home Office HQ and UKBA employment statistics were reported as one figure. 



HO Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17
(PDF Document, 1.87 MB)




Annual Report 
(PDF Document, 1.24 MB)

Asylum: Calais

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish an asylum processing centre in Calais.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK has a strong track record of cooperating with France to manage illegal migration and to protect our shared border. However, the primary responsibility for asylum seekers lies with the authorities of the Member State in which they are present; the UK Government does not have the authority to operate on the territory of another sovereign state without permission. We are also under no obligation to consider asylum claims lodged outside UK territory.As part of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK and France on 18 January 2018, both parties agreed to further enhance cooperation in a number of areas, including illegal migration and asylum. This includes a number of measures in respect of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and children, and a commitment to support France in its provision of accommodation facilities located outside the Calais and Dunkirk areas. Further information on the treaty can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-01-19/HCWS415/.

Asylum

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of qualified staff required to ensure that asylum seekers' claims are properly assessed; and how many qualified staff are currently employed to make such assessments.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office currently has a published service standard to make an asylum decision on 98% of straightforward claims within 6 months of the date of the claim being lodged. The Home Office has rolling recruitment campaigns to maintain the number of Decision Makers at levels which allow cases to be progressed in line with service standards.

Europol

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the comments by the Executive Director of Europol that the UK will face “impediments” to receiving high-quality information after Brexit; and how they will ensure that high levels of cooperation with EU law enforcement are maintained.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s future partnership paper on security, law enforcement and criminal justice published on 18 September 2017 set out how the UK is seeking a future relationship with the EU and its Member States that provides for practical operational cooperation; facilitates data driven law enforcement; and supports multilateral cooperation through EU agencies.We continue to value our cooperation and information sharing through measures such as the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), Europol, the European Criminal Record Information System (ECRIS) and the Schengen Information System (SIS II) in our efforts to fight cross-border crime and terrorism.The UK has been instrumental in developing the tools which the EU now has at its disposal and in working together with international partners on these issues. We want this to continue in a way that works for the UK and for Europe.We are confident that continued, practical cooperation between the UK and EU on law enforcement and security is in the interests of both sides. This includes cooperation through Europol, and is consistent with the Europol Executive Director’s observation that the UK is in the top three Member States that contribute intelligence each day to the different Europol databases, and exchanges five times as much information with Europol as the US, and seven times more than Denmark.We therefore approach negotiations anticipating that an agreement in this area can be reached, and agree with the Executive Director of Europol as regards the desirability of preserving as much operational cooperation as possible.

Muslim Council of Britain

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 12 March (HL6001), who were the representatives from the Muslim Council of Britain who attended the most recent meeting with Home Office officials.

baroness williams of trafford: Pursuant to our Written Answer of 12 March (HL6001), the Government will not comment on the private meetings it holds or the participants of these meetings.

Immigration Controls: Republic of Ireland

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government where non-UK citizens travelling to the UK from the Republic of Ireland will have their travel documents checked after the UK leaves the EU; whether citizens of the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same checks; and what effect such checks will have on (1) the Common Travel Area, and (2) control of the UK's border.

baroness williams of trafford: The Common Travel Area (CTA) is an existing special travel area which facilitates the long-standing principle of free movement for British and Irish nationals and the enjoyment of reciprocal rights enjoyed in the UK and Ireland.The CTA arrangements mean there are no routine immigration controls on journeys from Ireland to the UK, including over the land border. The Government is committed to maintaining these arrangements with Ireland after the UK leaves the EU, protecting the ability to move freely between Ireland and the UK. The December Joint Report includes recognition from the EU that the CTA with Ireland is protected after the UK has left the EU. As will all the commitments made in the December Joint Report we are determined to ensure that this is turned into legally binding text in the Withdrawal Agreement. Maintaining these arrangements also means the protection of Irish citizens’ rights to enter and remain in the UK.Immigration control is not, and never has been, solely about the ability to prevent and control entry at the UK’s physical border. There is a high level of collaboration between the UK and Ireland on border security, with a joint programme of work focused on strengthening the external border of the CTA.

Asylum: Pregnancy

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider extending the period during which pregnant asylum seekers cannot be moved before their due date from six to 12 weeks.

baroness williams of trafford: Asylum seekers who are destitute and have an immediate need for accommodation can apply to be admitted to an initial accommodation centre. In normal circumstances, they remain in the centre for only such time as it takes to arrange longer term “dispersal” accommodation.If, however, the asylum seeker is heavily pregnant the move to the dispersal accommodation is usually deferred until around 6 weeks after the birth of the child or until the clinician has signed off the postnatal checks.There are no plans to change these arrangements.

Cabinet Office

Weather

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the preparedness of the UK to deal with severe cold weather conditions.

lord young of cookham: The Government constantly reviews preparedness for the risks facing the UK, drawing on the National Risk Assessment (NRA) and Resilience Capabilities Programme (RCP). This includes preparedness to respond to and recover from severe cold weather. In addition, following any major event, debriefs are undertaken by relevant Departments and agencies to identify any lessons learned and improve future responses. This is the case with respect to the recent period of cold weather, where the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is considering the recent water supply issue, identifying the causes of the problems and reviewing the response of the water companies. The results will be published by 15 June.

Devolution

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the competences currently held at the EU level will be distributed between the various countries in the UK after Brexit; and what impact this will have on the management of the devolution settlement and on relations between those countries.

lord young of cookham: The Government has committed that EU exit will result in a significant increase in the decision making powers of each of the devolved legislatures. The Government’s provisional frameworks analysis, published on 9 March, sets out where frameworks may and may not be needed in respect of the 153 policy areas where EU law intersects with devolved competence. It indicates that legislative frameworks will only be needed in a minority of areas. Moreover, our ongoing discussions with the devolved administrations suggest that within these areas, legislation may only be required in relation to specific elements, rather than the entire policy area. Constructive discussions with the devolved administrations continue.

Average Earnings

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the percentage change in average earnings between (1) 1987 and 1992, (2) 1992 and 1997, (3) 1998 and 2003, and (4) 2004 and 2009.

lord young of cookham: ​The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.Letter from John Pullinger CB, National Statistician, to Baroness Primarolo, dated 20 March 2018 Dear Baroness Primarolo,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking what was the percentage change in average earnings between (1) 1987 and 1992, (2) 1992 and 1997, (3) 1998 and 2003, and (4) 2004 and 2009 (HL6310).Table 1 provides estimates of median gross weekly earnings for adult full time employees in Great Britain for April each year. The estimates from 1997 onwards are drawn from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and prior to that from its predecessor, the New Earnings Survey. Although the methodologies between the two surveys created some discontinuities in the published results, the differences are tolerable and the resulting series will be of benefit to those interested in changes in earnings statistics over a long period. Table 1: Median gross weekly earnings, full time employees in Great Britain whose pay was unaffected during the reference period[1],[2],[3],[4]Median gross weekly earnings,  April of each yearsPercentage change in gross weekly earnings between the two quoted years1987 - £175.1 1992 - £264.651.1%1992 - £264.6 1997 - £321.521.5%1998 - £335.8 2003 - £405.220.7%2004 - £420.3 2009 - £489.916.6% Yours sincerely,John Pullinger [1] Estimates prior to 1997 are drawn from the New Earnings Survey[2] From 2004 there was improved coverage added to the Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings. This had some impact on estimates: the median gross weekly earnings estimate for 2004 excluding that improved coverage was £424.2 (compared with £420.3 including it).[3] Estimates in Table 1 are drawn from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/adhocs/006302annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashetimeseriesofmediangrossweeklyearningsfrom1968to2016[4] Percentage changes are calculated from the median gross weekly earnings figures in the table, which are rounded to one decimal place. This may result in percentage changes being under or overstated, by up to one decimal % point.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Channel Four Television: Location

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the decision to establish a second headquarters for Channel Four outside London was taken solely by the broadcaster; if not, what input Government ministers and officials had into that decision; whether Channel Four will be solely responsible for the decision where to establish that new headquarters; and if not, whether that decision must be signed off by a minister, and by whom.

lord ashton of hyde: The government has long been committed to Channel 4 moving outside of London, and has worked closely with Channel 4 to find a solution that worked for Channel 4 and the country that owns it. Channel 4's proposal was put forward by Channel 4, and will be implemented by Channel 4. Channel 4 will launch a process in April in which cities and regions across the UK can pitch to become the home of Channel 4's new National HQ and creative hubs. The decision on location will be taken by Channel 4 not by government, and Channel 4 has said it will take this decision in Q3 2018.

Channel Four Television: Location

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunityarising from the establishment by Channel Four of a second headquarters outside London to develop their regional policy and to promote less affluent parts of the UK; and what discussions they have had with Channel Four in this regard.

lord ashton of hyde: We are committed to spreading jobs, prosperity and opportunity around the UK, and Channel 4, as a publicly-owned public service broadcaster, can play an important part in this. The government commissioned external economic analysis which found that there could be significant regional economic benefits from Channel 4 relocating staff and moving spending out of London. The government welcomes Channel 4's agreement to increase its regional impact, and in doing so it will better reflect and provide for the country that owns it.